"The day (Pope Benedict) announced his resignation, there were a ton of nuns and religious people who went and prayed, people were crying everywhere. So it was intense," said Kelly Taylor, a Marquette University student.

Taylor is part of a study abroad program and traveled to Italy before Benedict's resignation.

Since then she has traveled to St. Peter's Square for Benedict's final appearances as pope.

"On the 27th he held his last papal audience and there were thousands and thousands of people. St. Peter's Square was just packed. I couldn't even sit down," said Taylor. "That following Sunday he held his last Angelus blessing and the crowd there was even bigger. It was amazing."

Kyle Dooley, who is also studying abroad, said locals have told him and his friends that this is time they've never seen. He recalled a friend's trip to a barbershop in Rome.

"He went to the barbershop right down the street, he said he was talking to the barber and he said he'd been there 50 years and he'd never seen anything like this," said Dooley.

Dooley and Taylor said they hope to work around their class schedules to see the white smoke signalling the selection of a new pope.

"I'm only about 15-minute walk, so I could probably run there in 10 minutes. If I wanted to," said Dooley. "So I should be able to get there in time."